BUYING: Mk1 Mondeo
It’s over 25-years-old and rapidly disappearing from our roads — grab this modern classic while you can.
What you need to know if you’re in search of Ford’s game-changer.
Still licking its wounds from the lacklustre reaction to its Mk5 Escort, Ford ensured it wouldn’t make the same mistake when it came to replacing the Sierra with the new-wave Mondeo. Whereas the Escort was in essence a re-bodying of the previous version, the Mondeo was new from the ground up and something of an engineering masterpiece when it went on sale in March 1993.
A notable change and one that was demanded if the Mondeo was to compete with its rivals, was the switch to front-wheel-drive from the Sierra’s traditional rear-wheel-drive set-up. The swap to a more contemporary drivetrain configuration was only part of the £3 billion that Ford pumped into developing the Mondeo, another chunk being splashed on making it a class leader in terms of both ride and handling.
As well as the all-new Quadralink independent rear end, which used four links to locate each wheel, the Mondeo also benefited from shorter front struts and larger diameter springs. So good was the end result that Ford employed race ace, Jackie Stewart to justifiably sing the suspension’s praises to the press.
Under the low bonnet was a range of advanced double overhead camshaft Zetec engines in 1.6, 1.8 and 2-litre guises, all matched to the five-speed MTX75 manual transmission. Fleet managers were kept happy with the addition of a frugal 1.8-litre turbo diesel, while for the more speed-obsessed, a 2.5-litre, 24-valve, quad camshaft V6 followed in January 1994. The driving dynamics were further enhanced with the availability of four-wheel drive and traction control.
Customers got to choose from a four-door saloon, five-door hatchback or five-door estate; which was six inches longer than its siblings; and a wide choice of trim levels. Well designed interiors and a decent level of equipment cemented the Mondeo’s classleading status.
While there were sporty models, such as the Si and ST24, it was the likes of the L, LX and GLX that made the biggest contribution to the Mondeo’s best-selling status.
Perhaps surprisingly though, it’s these lower spec versions that are rarer today — various scrappage schemes, age and banger racing having culled survivors. Finding a good one takes time, but if you get lucky you’ll find that being ‘Mondeo man’ is no bad thing.